Pan's Little Princess
by EternityOx
Summary: Peter Pan swore after Wendy that he would never rely on anyone but himself ever again, but then he hears her stories. Sara Crewe needs her faith restored. Will Peter be the one to restore it? PETER/SARA & BECKY/NIBS
1. No Make Believe

**DISCLAIMER;**I do not own anything and I never will. The only thing I own is my imagination and that is all. Everything else belongs to its rightful owners. I am not getting any credit out of other people's creations.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE; **I originally got the idea for this pairing when I was trying to think of crossovers to vid to as I make videos for YouTube. However, I never got round to doing a vid for them and I decided to try my hand at writing for them instead. I'm hoping it turns out as well as it sounds after planning! I think it's the perfect pairing, no matter how much I love the idea of Wendy and Peter. It's going to begin with Sara telling the girl's a story and Peter over hearing, then it will skip to when she's been forced into servitude. There are two changes that I need to point out to you. It's nothing major, but just something I'm going to make clear now. The first one, is that I'm going to make their ages a little bit older, making them roughly around 15, perhaps 16, even Peter. I've decided twelve year old boys do _not _kiss the way Peter kisses Wendy. The second change, is I'm going to have the Boarding School in London. That was where it originally was in the book anyway, the film just lied and changed it because it was easier. This is going to be a blend of the book and film of Little Princess. I'm using Sara from the film, but you'll find that the ending is going to be from the book, not the film because it was easier to end it that way.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE 2; **Okay, I kind of hate how this started. I really wanted to get this FanFiction stated because I've got all the chapters planned and I'm totally psyched for it, but this did not start out as well as I wanted it to. I hate this Chapter; it's icky and feels lifeless but I promise, it _will _get a lot better or at least, the way it's planned makes me feel like it will. xD

**PAN'S LITTLE PRINCESS;  
**_Peter Pan/Sara Crewe & a bit of Becky/Nibs  
_**Sara Crewe had thought no hope would come, but then he did. He heard her stories, he heard her pain and most of all, he heard how much she reminded him of Wendy and he couldn't help himself. Pan was always a selfish boy after all; if he wanted something, he assumed he deserved it. **

**CHAPTER ONE; **NOT WENDY'S STORIES

The night's sky of London was bitter and cold as it whipped against his bare flesh, the leaves that he wore for clothing rustling in the breeze was washed over his form. It had been a long time since he travelled over the streets of this English city. He wasn't even travelling at the moment, but perched on top of a large building. He believed it was a school and therefore, he was half tempted to do some form of damage to it, but he managed to resist that temptation. Instead, he sat upon it, taking a break from flying while distant eyes stared out at the view of London. The last time he had been back here, it had been to say goodbye to the one person who had truly meant something to him. Don't get him wrong, he had the boys and he could never forget his little fairy, but Wendy had been something special. She had been...his or at least, he thought she had been. Peter Pan was famous for his immaturity, for being a boy who refused to grow up, refused to feel anything. There hadn't been a problem with that until Wendy came away to Neverland with him. She changed him; she gave him the ability to feel emotions he didn't even know the name of and he wasn't a fan of it, he had to admit. He liked being carefree, without a worry in the world. He hated having to feel anything but that. Ever since Wendy had returned to her parents, he had felt...empty. Her laughter wasn't there to fill his heart anymore. Had it been love? No. Peter Pan did not understand love, nor was he sure if he would ever feel it because he was so young, in both body and mind. But he had cared for her; deeply cared for her, in fact and he missed having that. He missed having someone to care about. He didn't care about the boys and Tink the way he had cared for Wendy, after all.

Why was he back here? Was he simply trying to torture himself? No, he wasn't. In all honesty, he had come here to see her; to see if she still told her stories. It felt like forever since he had laid eyes upon Wendy, but he had changed his mind half way. What if she looked older? What if she had grown up and married and all the other icky stuff that came with being an adult? He didn't want to see Wendy like that. He wanted to remember her happy and young and as a free spirit. He didn't want to witness her any other way so now, here he was, merely travelling around the cold London, not quite wanting to go back to Neverland just yet. Even if he didn't see her, just by being here, flying over areas he knew she walked among, made him feel close to her again. A young boy he might be, but he wasn't as stupid as he acted, not inside underneath all the depths that he kept hidden. Sniffing slightly, he let out a sigh, listening to the sounds of Tinkerbell who was perched on his shoulder, glistening from time to time but respectfully not tugging at his ear just yet and nagging him to go.

He listened closer, just picking up on all the different sounds that surrounded him; for such a busy town, this place was incredibly quiet at night time. It was so...boring, if he was completely honest. Why somebody would chose to stay here when they had the option to go somewhere as magical as Neverland was beyond him. He would never figure out the answer. The more he listened, the more he began to hear though and just beneath him, he could hear the sounds of...laughter, giggling and...he was pretty sure that other sound was called music. His eyebrows drew down into the faintest of frowns and his legs began to uncross. He crouched forward, his knees pressing against the roof tiles while his hands stretched out to grab onto the edge, his head peering over as he attempted to get a closer listen. The open window that the noise were sneaking out of wasn't too far down, somewhere between the attic and the bottom floor, he could tell because it was the only room that had light pouring out of it. Tinkerbell jingled next to him, hovering in the air with a look of curiosity on her face and that was when he heard her voice for the first time. Not Tinkerbell's obviously, but...Sara Crewe's. Of all the times he had returned back to London and hesitated on this roof top, he'd never heard this voice before. This voice so full of life, full of imagination...it reminded him of _her_.

"Charlotte turned to her father and said 'father, you are right. I must put away my foolish fancies and childhood wishes, but I simply won't do it. I'm sorry, father, but when I marry, it will be for love.' And with that, Charlotte ran from the house. Waiting outside for her was the handsome stable boy Pierre whom Charlotte had secretly adored."

Okay, so the story was just about stupid love and it didn't involve him. Both of these facts left Peter pretty damn disappointed, but it was a story none the less and he couldn't help but find himself becoming most intrigued. It had been so long since he heard a story. "Come on, Tink." He whispered quietly under his breath, slipping off of the roof with ease, floating in mid air before lowering himself down, flying with such skill where he had been doing it for years. His feet landed elegantly on the ledge just outside the open window and he kept his back pressed flat against the wall, standing by the side of the open window, occasionally getting hit in the face with the curtains but making sure to stay away from view, not wanting somebody to catch him.

"Together, they escaped to the coast and quickly set sail to the Island of Tahiti! But when they were half way there, their ship was attacked by a band of horrible _pirates_!" The female voice continued to tell the story, getting more excited by the minute and at the mention of pirates, Peter's face broke into a boyish grin. Tinkerbell jingled next to him in surprise and he quickly shushed her with a wave of his hand before tip toeing that little bit closer to the open window. His head turned ever so slightly and he peered around the corner, getting a small look into the room. Everybody seemed so proper; all dressed in the same uniform style clothes, all of them with bows in their hair, their backs perfectly straight while a scary looking woman played the harp and a chubby one fanned herself as if she was in a much hotter place than London. His glistening eyes of mischief soon fell upon the person that was reading though; the person whose voice had captured his attention so easily. She wasn't reading from a book or anything like that; she was reading from her mind, making it up as she went, much like Wendy used to her. Her face was lit up with pure enjoyment, her imagination running wild with her as she found herself getting lost in her story and she had the entire room clinging on to her every word. Pan supposed she could be seen as pretty, if you were into that thing, but of course...he was a teenage boy who didn't quite understand hormones. The only thing he was into was rolling in dirt and climbing up trees. But, that didn't change the fact that her timeless beauty was similar to Wendy's. He couldn't help but make all these comparisons as he continued to listen.

"Rather than be eaten alive – "

Peter made a face when she said this and exchanged a look of disgust with Tinkerbell. Since when did pirates _eat _people? Hook had never threatened to eat him! That was just gross! His nose un-creased itself and he turned back to watch as she continued to tell her story. He had been hoping that because she'd brought pirates into it, he would somehow come into it, but it would appear that wasn't the way. It was stil about this silly Charlotte and her beloved Pierre.

"Charlotte and Pierre threw themselves into the raging sea and as they began to drown, they held each other close and swore their undying love."

All the girls in the room sighed and even Tinkerbell seemed to fall silent, actually perching herself on his shoulder and crossing her legs, a dreamy look upon her glittery face as she even got caught up in it. "Girls." Peter muttered under his breath with a sneer, rolling his eyes, clearly not as drawn in as everybody else by the idea of undying love being sworn during a deathly peril. Pfft; love was for losers. Love was for _adults _and he was certainly _not _one of them, nor did he ever plan to be one.

"But _then_, when all seemed lost, a group of _mermaids _appeared!" The girl continued to gush and Peter couldn't help but smile slightly. Okay, so it sucked more than ever that he wasn't in this story – he should be in _every _story as far as he was concerned – but still, it was pretty interesting to hear about all the pirates and mermaids. It was almost like she was talking about Neverland, but including stupid adults in it and missing him completely. "The mermaids rescued them and – "

"Enough!" A voice that was almost as stern as Hook's cut through the air and interrupted the story completely. Tinkerbell jumped with a jingle and was suddenly off of his shoulder, floating in the air again instead and looking blushed, almost embarrassed that she had got so caught up in the silly story. She pulled at Peter's ear in an attempt to get him to fly off with her, but he batted her away with a hand, frowning with disappointed eyes at the horrendous adult that had ruined the story with her silly grown up ways.

"What are you doing?" The grey haired woman demanded, glaring down at the little girl who had just been speaking.

"I couldn't bear to see Charlotte marry that awful man!" Sara Crewe breathed out with wide eyes, shaking her head furiously to emphasize her point. "So I imagined a different ending."

"You _imagined _it?!"

Peter hated the way the older woman drawled out the word 'imagined'. It was almost as if the word greatly offended her; as if it was a disgusting taste in her mouth. Did she not realise the magic of imagination? Did she not realise that stories like these, the ones that escaped reality, were the best sort of things to listen to? How dare she act like this? It was such a typical...adult thing to do. He silently poked his tongue out in the direction of this woman even though he knew she couldn't see it. He felt the need to do it to the other girls as well; he had noticed how they had all scurried back to their places, hanging their heads in shame, not one of them daring to defend their friend. As far as he was concerned, they were traitors. The Lost Boys defended _everything _he did...or at least they would but then, nobody ever really dared to defy him now that Hook was gone. Adventures were actually pretty hard to come across back in Neverland now. It was still a magical place; it was just a little boring. Perhaps they were just missing a mother; missing their stories. Perhaps this girl here could come help them. She liked to imagine things, maybe – _no_. He sternly stopped these thoughts. He vowed that he would _never, ever _bring a mother to Neverland again after everything with Wendy. Him and the Lost Boys didn't _need_ a mother. They didn't need anyone, they had each other.

"Don't you ever do that, Miss Minchin? Believe in something just to make it seem real?"

Peter smiled at this girl's bravery; even when everybody else had backed down, she was still voicing her point and she was refusing to back down, refusing to just give in to this evil Miss Minchin's stern glare and cold tone. Her eyes were wide with innocence, but at the same time, there was a real look of determination there, proving that she meant everything she said. Pan liked her; she was nice. She was different and she was...well, he wasn't sure if she was a lot like him or a lot like Wendy. It was almost a bit of both and perhaps _that _was the real reason why he liked her so much.

"I suppose that's rather easy for a child that has everything." Miss Minchin sneered and that look of bravery seemed to vanish off of Sara's face. Instead, she looked down put, as if the carpet had been pulled out from underneath her feet. Peter felt angry; he felt compelled to defend her because none of her so-called girls were doing it for her, but he didn't dare. He remained at the side lines, stood outside the open window and merely watching in silence, ignoring the way Tinkerbell kept grabbing at his hair and pinching his ear in frustration because she was bored and wanted to go back to Neverland. "But from now on, there will be no more make believe in this school during reading time or any other time! Now off to bed, all of you, this instance!"

"No make believe?" He whispered under his breath in complete horror. His life was built around make believe! He practically lived for make believe! He couldn't even imagine not having it. How could the woman demand such a thing? It was...well, he couldn't think of a word smart enough to describe it, but it was something! His wide eyes darted back in the direction of the strange girl that he didn't know and he half expected her to protest. For a second, he thought she was going to, but when she noticed that everyone was resigning themselves to bed, she seemed to sigh in defeat, realising she was on her own and merely standing up, beginning to follow the others. Peter wasn't sure whether he was disappointed in her for not standing her ground like she bravely had done moments ago or if he pitied her for having to live in such a world; a world where imagination appeared to be a crime rather than encouraged like it was supposed to be. He licked his lower lip and without even realising he was doing so, he followed her, leaving the window ledge that he was on and gliding upwards to the window above. He peered in, his nose pressing against the glass as he watched the large group of girls shuffle their way up the stairs. His breath fogged up the window, but he ignored it, tilting his head to the side and pressing his ear to the close thing, faintly being able to hear the conversations that were going on inside.

"I've never heard a story like that in my life!"

"I bet you know loads of stories like that don't you, Sara?"

"My father used to tell them to me all the time back in India. I know millions! About love, adventure, danger – "She seemed to bounce up and down, her walking coming to a stop as she turned to face the three girls that were talking to her. That excited expression from earlier was back on her face and Peter found himself grinning in response, looking just as excited at the thought of more stories.

"Sara, will you tell us them? We can wait until Miss Minchin goes to bed and then come into your room. We promise we'll be quiet, we promise!" One of the girl's gushed.

"Okay." Sara agreed and he noticed there wasn't much hesitance in her voice. Oh, she was a rule breaker as well; he was beginning to like this girl. "But not tonight. Miss Minchin already has it in for us after reading time, but tomorrow night definitely, as long as it's just you three! After dinner, okay?"

The three girls nodded in unsion, before all of them seemed to depart in different directions, practically skipping to their room, all of them excited for the next day; all of them desperate to hear more of these tales that Sara kept locked away in her head and the girls weren't the only ones that couldn't wait either. Peter was impatient and cursing the fact she hadn't agreed to tell them more tonight but that didn't stop the grin from fading from his face as he quickly moved away from the glass of the window, flying himself back up to the roof and hovering there. "Tomorrow night." He muttered to himself, making a note to remember this with a nod of his head. The three girls wouldn't be the only ones listening tomorrow night. Making a loud craw, disturbing the peaceful air without much care in the world, Peter began to zoom towards the second star to the right, laughing loudly; laughing in a way that he hadn't laughed for ages and Tinkerbell watched with a slightly look of despair on her face. She knew what path this was going to head down and she wasn't exactly pleased. This was going to prove itself to be a repeat of the Wendy-episode and while she wanted her dear friend to be happy...she hated the moping that always followed afterwards. With a huff and a palm-slap to the head, the little fairy followed, jingling in disapproval as she did so while Peter just called back that she worried too much.

As he disappeared in the distance, his yellow fairy following, the wide eyes of Sara Crewe stared out the window in awe. She hadn't seen him, but she could have sworn she heard a boy out there, laughing and calling out in the strangest of ways. Her head canted to one side and she searched night's sky, but the only thing she could find, was a star that shined brighter than the others. Her lips smiled upwards and she shook her head, turning away from the window and disappearing into her room with a small hum.

**COMING UP NEXT; **Peter visits the Boarding School for what must be the seventh time now, but this time when he returns, he's in for a big shock; Sara's life has been turned upside down and he feels compelled to help her, but does she want his help?


	2. My Damsel In Distaste

**DISCLAIMER;**I do not own anything and I never will. The only thing I own is my imagination and that is all. Everything else belongs to its rightful owners. I am not getting any credit out of other people's creations.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE; **Wow, so this story got a lot more positive attention that I thought it would. To be honest, I didn't think it would get _any _attention, so I was pleasantly surprised to get some lovely reviews asking me to continue. I'm sorry my updates aren't as fast as I would like them to be, but unfortunately, I find myself drowning in college work all the time. I'm hoping this chapter will make up for my absence! Enjoy! It's Peter's first meeting with Sara!

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**PAN'S LITTLE PRINCESS;  
**_Peter Pan/Sara Crewe & a bit of Becky/Nibs  
_**Sara Crewe had thought no hope would come, but then he did. He heard her stories, he heard her pain and most of all, he heard how much she reminded him of Wendy and he couldn't help himself. Pan was always a selfish boy after all; if he wanted something, he assumed he deserved it.**

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**CHAPTER ONE; **COME WITH ME

Peter had been visiting the Boarding School for a couple of weeks now. Sara's stories became a recent thing; the girl's would constantly be sneaking into her room, pleading with her to continue her stories and she would oblige and Peter would be there to hear every single word. Her stories were different from Wendy's, something he noticed the very first time he heard her begin to tell them. They weren't about Cinderella or Snow White, but instead, about people with strange names, such as Ramayana. Of course, like Cinderella and other stories, the tale revolved around romance, about love conquering all, but...there was something different. He didn't star in them for a start, which was most disappointing and the way she told it...they seemed a lot darker than Wendy's. Sara wasn't afraid to leave out the morbid parts and she didn't exactly sugar coat the deaths either. Not everything was a happy beginning or even ending and Peter should have found himself disturbed by this, but instead, he was even more drawn in. Sara was a puzzle to him; just when he thought he was figuring her out, she would surprise him again and he liked that. It kept him on his toes; it kept him...well, he wasn't sure, but one thing he was sure of was he finally have something that made him feel a little less empty. And so, he flew through the bitter air of London town, heading towards that very same window he always went to, desperate to hear her voice, her soothing tone as she told the next chapter of the story. Tinkerbell was behind him, twittering to herself in a grumpy tone.

Tink wasn't exactly Sara's biggest fan, just like she had never been Wendy's. The fairy was just waiting for the day to come when Peter would turn around and try to take Sara back to Neverland with him. She knew what Peter was like – for a small thing, capable of just one emotion at a time, the pretty ball of light wasn't an idiot and she knew Peter very well. He got attached easily. He was already attached to Sara now and he hadn't even spoken to her and when he got attached to something, he had to have it. He was selfish; one of his many flaws. And she knew bringing Sara to Neverland would only cause him more pain – the same pain that Wendy had caused him. All little girls wanted to grow up in the end; they didn't all want to stay young the way Peter did, but he just didn't see that. He didn't understand it and he refused to even try.

Bare feet landed skilfully on the window sill and grubby hands came up to rest either side of the wall as he leaned his face forward, pressing it against the glass. He often wondered if he left dirty marks on it; often wondered if the person that cleaned it could never work out where the stains came from, but he never lingered on the thought too much. His eyes peered into the room that he knew so well, but to his surprise, he wasn't welcomed with the same view that he usually got. Sara's toys were all gone; her dolls, her expensive items...all of them were gone; they had been replaced with different items, items that didn't look nearly as glamorous or exciting. His eyebrows creased down into a frown and his lips parted in confusion, orbs darting from side to side, searching the room for that pretty face he had come so familiar with, but she wasn't there either. Somebody else was sat at her dressing table; a snotty faced looking girl, her nose pointed and her lips curved into a permanent sneer as she brushed through locks of long hair. Peter recognised her – he didn't know her name nor did he care for it. During his visits, he had only seen the girl a couple of times and each time, she had been being mean to Sara. Each time he had been tempted to throw a stone at her head but thankfully, Tinkerbell had stopped him. She looked about as unpleasant as she behaved and because of this, he was very confused about why she was in Sara's room. Why were her things there? Where was Sara? She couldn't have left! He didn't know much about school, but he knew you had to stay there until you were an adult. It hadn't been long since his last visit; a week tops, perhaps a little longer. Surely Sara couldn't have become an adult in the space of a week? Oh no, maybe he'd been longer. Maybe he'd just lost track of time. Would she be married too, like Wendy? His thoughts began to run away with him, his wild and ridiculous imagination getting the better of him.

And then he heard it – a sound that made his spirit roar and relief wash over him; laughter, lots of it. A group of girls and somehow, his ears managed to pick out a laugh that he recognised quite well – Sara's laugh. His head tilted upwards and he realised that it was coming from above. He wasn't sure why she had moved, but at least it meant she wasn't married and grown up. Pushing himself away from the window, he glided to the one above, making sure to keep a small distance when he realised that it was open. He had been very secretive during his visits – several times Sara or Becky would hear a noise and go to inspect, but they never saw him, not once and he intended to keep it that way for now. He was just hear to listen to stories; they didn't need to see him for that. As quietly as he could, he let himself land on the same balcony outside the open window. It was only then, as he peered past the tatty curtains and into the empty room, did he realise that they were all in the attic. Why was she in the attic? He crept closer, hearing the sounds of a monkey chiming as it bounced up and down on Sara's shoulders; he wasn't sure where exactly she had managed to get a monkey from, but right now, he was too busy focusing on other things. What had happened to her silk clothing, her expensive items? She looked as though she had been living in Neverland; her hair was no longer posh ringlets, but it was knotted and loose, resting on her shoulders, looking almost dirty. Her skin was a darker tone, not from being in the sun, but from sleeping on a dusty mattress. Her clothes were torn, barely even acceptable enough to call clothes as they hung loosely off of her form, which had become noticeable thinner due to her lack of good meals. She was barely recognisable and as she turned, Peter noticed something that made his heart sink. Despite the fact she was smiling, her eyes were no longer glistening with the happiness that had once been there; with the excitement she used to have. The light was missing; it was as if it had been taken from her and Peter was almost irritated at her for it – how dare she let that light fade? Did she not know how much it meant to him? The light was one of the things that made her stories so extraordinary. The light was what made it all seem so...real. Without the light, her stories were just that...stories, but with the light...with the light, they were imagination, they were...something else that his young mind couldn't quite describe.

As everyone settled themselves down onto a bed that looked barely able to stand on its four wooden stumps, Peter realised that despite the change of scenery, Sara was still going to continue her story. He had no idea if he wanted to hear it or not though – the sulky part of him didn't want to because it wanted the light in her eyes, but the eager part of him was stronger than that and he found himself forgetting his thoughts as he began to listen to her voice of wonder.

"After Rama came back to life, he raced on towards the monster's palace to rescue Sita. Suddenly, Rovannah appeared!" On that note, the five girls that were perched on her bed suddenly began to scream shrilly and Peter had to bring his hands up to cover his ears. He was almost thankfully when Sara stretched her own hands out and covered their mouths, Becky following in pursuit to make sure all the mouths got covered. His eyes rolled and he let his arms fall back to his sides. "Girls." He muttered under his breath, while Tinkerbell jingled in agreement.

"I think we better save the rest of the story for later." Sara murmured quietly, sounding almost...afraid of something.

Once again, Peter wanted to sulk. He didn't want to wait to hear to end of it – he was tired of waiting. He barely got to hear any of her stories tonight! All that journey for _nothing_? What was she so scared of? She had never appeared scared any of the other times he had been here. She had always come across as brave and free – that was why he liked her so much. What had happened to suddenly break her character down? And what could it possibly have been that could have done it so quickly, in the space of a mere seven days? He was so caught up in his thoughts, he barely noticed that the girls were actually walking towards the window. It was only when Tinkerbell snatched a tiny handful of his hair and tugged at the strands did he come back to reality and realise how close they were to spotting him. With a loud gasp, he shot backwards, gliding through the air, only to trip over his own feet and go falling downwards. He let out a small cry of surprise, but quickly silenced himself as he caught his balance in mid air, floating there. He quickly moved forward and pressed his back tight against the wall beneath the window, biting his lower lip in hope that he hadn't been seen.

"What was that?" He heard Sara's voice breathe out.

"It was probably just an owl." Becky replied with a small shrug, though she sounded uncertain.

There was a moments of silence where the girls were clearly lost in thought, but it was soon forgetting as the monkey jumped down from Sara's shoulder and travelled away, making its way back to its home while the girl's all giggled their goodbyes to the man opposite, who was standing at his balcony, waiting for his pet. Peter was certain that as the man bowed downstairs, he caught sight of him, but if he did, he didn't do anything about it. It was odd; surely he could have done something? He was a grown up after all. Grownups were supposed to have Peter, but...well, he could have sworn the dark coloured man had _smiled _at him. Once again, his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden loud voice; the sound of a woman shouting.

"What's going on here?" It demanded and the girl's all gasped in horror. Peter automatically recognised the voice as Miss Minchin's, a woman he had grown to despise with a great passion. She was just so...icky.

"It's not their fault! I asked them to come!" Almost instantly, Sara was defending herself and everyone else before accusations had even begun to be given out. She sounded scared, but at the same time, determined to protect her friends. Peter frowned once more; what was going on here? He was confused; _really _confused. First he came to find that she was now living in an attic, with nothing but rags and no spark in her eyes and now she was...panicking over Miss Minchin? It didn't make sense and despite Tinkerbell urging him to leave, he remained pressed to the wall, continuing to listen, hoping to get some answers.

"You five get downstairs immediately!" Miss Minchin ordered in her strict voice. "I'll deal with you later. Becky; you will remain locked in your room for the entire day tomorrow without meals. _Go_!"

Peter frowned; without meals? The woman was refusing to _feed _her? Peter knew grownups could be harsh, but...well, he had never heard of such a thing! Grownups didn't starve children or at least, he was certain they weren't supposed to. Perhaps he was wrong; it had been a long time since he was around grownups, but then...everything Wendy had always told him, about mothers being loving and fathers being kind. Miss Minchin was neither of these things! In fact, she seemed like she would give even Hook a run for his money if he was still around. He heard the quick pattering of feet as everyone abandoned the situation, as once again everybody abandoned Sara rather than defend her the way she defended them. Did these people know nothing of loyalty? The Lost Boys would be very unhappy.

"And _you_, Sara Crewe, will perform all her chores, in addition to your own, without breakfast, lunch or dinner!" She was starving Sara, too?! That made him angry. He had been surprised to hear she was starving Becky, but starving Sara? His teeth ground together and his eyes narrowed dangerously. He didn't like people being mean to his things and right now, he considered Sara to be one of his possessions, even if she didn't know he existed. He was greedy like that; he wanted Sara because of her liveliness, because of her stories and therefore, she didn't get a say in the matter; he wanted, he got, simple as. "It's time you learned Sara Crewe..." Miss Minchin's voice was cold and he heard her take a couple of steps closer. Without thinking, he pushed himself away from the wall and floated up a little bit, peering over the edge of the barrier to see in through the window, making sure he stayed hidden. His eyes narrowed as he watched the cruel woman glaring down at Sara like she was nothing; like she was dirt as she continued to talk. "That real life is nothing to do with your little fantasy games – it's a cruel nasty world out there and it's our duty to make the best of it!"

The best of what? How could Sara possibly make the best of _this_? Peter's lips curled up into a sneer. Everything was woman was saying was ridiculous and wrong; she had no idea what she was talking about.

"_Not _to indulge in ridiculous dreams, but to be _productive _and _useful_!" Miss Minchin continued, her voice getting louder and louder. Peter made a face with both words; he didn't understand what productive meant, but it sounded terrible and grown up, therefore he didn't like it.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?!" Miss Minchin demanded from Sara. Peter held his breath in and he waited; he waited for Sara to say no, for her to disagree, for her to stand up for what she believed in like she always did. He waited...but it never came and the words that left her lips had him very disappointed.

"Yes, M'am." Sara whispered quietly, sounding almost defeated, her voice shaking as if she were about to cry.

It was in that moment; Peter began to wonder if maybe he had gotten Sara wrong. Maybe she wasn't what he expected. After all, the Sara he thought she was would never have agreed to such a thing; she had such firm beliefs and she wouldn't let anyone, not even Miss Minchin, and break those beliefs. Perhaps Sara was nothing like him at all, maybe she was just another Wendy, willing to bend to a grownups every wish, to be what others wanted and not what she wanted. His chest tightened at this realization and he barely heard Miss Minchin's sneer of 'good' as she turned to and began to leave. He was suddenly wishing he had never come to London ever – it always got his hopes up and then left him disappointed. He should have just stayed in Neverland with his boys. He didn't need anybody else. He didn't need stupid stories and strong, independent women. He just needed –

"But I don't believe in it."

His eyes widened and his thoughts came to an abrupt end as Sara's tiny voice filled his ears once more. His chest suddenly relaxed. His heart did a weird dance he couldn't quite describe and his stomach fluttered as if butterflies had somehow managed to find a way in there. The corners of his mouth twitched and he forgot all recent feelings of disappointment as excitement began to replace it. There was the Sara he had seen telling her stories – this was the Sara he had expected.

"Don't tell me you still fancy yourself a _princess?!_" Miss Minchin mocked loudly, causing Sara to flinch and Peter's blood to boil. He almost flew forward but Tinkerbell snatched at his hair to remind him that it would be a bad idea to do so. "Aha, good _God, _child, look around you! Or better yet...look in the mirror!" As she commented on the surroundings, Peter once again began to wonder what had happened to make Sara appear less of a princess. Why was she suddenly being treated like a crew member rather than a Captain? Like a slave rather than royalty? It didn't make sense to him. Why was her life suddenly in ruins? And why, did he suddenly want to save her from it; to take her away from this mean, nasty woman? That last question was the one he really wanted to know the answer to. After all, he had promised himself he was just here to listen to stories. He had said from the start he would never take somebody back to Neverland, but this Miss Minchin woman was leaving him with no choice. Cold silence lingered around the room and Peter wondered what would happen next. Would Sara back down? Or would she continue to be strong?

"I am a princess." Sara's voice was firm and strong as she tilted her head up high and straightened her shoulders out. Bravery began to show on her features and her jaw set tight in determination as she ignored the laugh that departed from Miss Minchin's mouth. "All girls are! Even if they live in tiny old attics; even if they dress in rag...even if they aren't pretty or smart or young...they're still princesses! All of us." She finished and as she spoke, she walked forward, challenging Miss Minchin by getting closer to her, talking down to her even if they didn't match in height in any way. Tension was building up; he could see Becky peering into the room with wide eyes, the one person that had refused to leave completely because _she _was loyal. Even Tinkerbell had fallen silent and was watching quietly. Peter felt proud; proud of his Sara and he was smiling from ear to ear, looking smug as ever, glad to see that Sara had knocked that silly grownup off her pedestal. It was what the old witch deserved.

"Didn't your father ever tell you that?" Sara questioned loudly and her voice shook ever so slightly at the term 'father'. In his past visits, whenever Sara had spoken of her father, Peter had noticed she always sounded proud. Wendy had never really sounded proud when she spoke of her father, not until the end when she realised how much she missed him. Right now though, Sara didn't sound proud or sure, she sounded...upset. Had something _happened_? There were so many questions that Peter just didn't know the answers too and it frustrated him. _"Didn't he?!" _Sara continued to demand, now standing a lot closer to Miss Minchin than before.

For a moment, it looked as though Miss Minchin was about to crack. Her bottom lip quivered; her eyes seemed to glisten with what could only be a shimmer of tears and her jaw muscles flexed as she swallowed hard. For just a few short seconds, it looked as though Sara's words had got through to her and then, just like that, it was gone and she was back to being an evil Ramayana. "If I find you up here with any of the girls again, I will throw you out into the _street!_" She bellowed before storming out of the room. She slammed the door with a large bang that caused dust to fall from the ceiling and it wasn't long before Peter heard the faint sound of a lock clicking shut. Once again, silence rung around and Sara just stood there, with her back to the window, staring at the closed door. Peter's own eyes were wide as he stared into the room. He felt pity for her and at the same time, he felt worried. What if Miss Minchin _did _throw her out in the streets and he wasn't there to stop it from happening? He hadn't been there to stop her from losing her things and being thrown into an attic after all. What if he lost her? What if she ended up broken, with nobody, wondering the cold town? Peter might be immature, but even he knew that the chances of her surviving on the street were little to none. She'd die and she wasn't supposed to die. She was like him after all and while death would be an adventure, it wasn't something he was ready to try out just yet. Very slowly, he flew up and landed on the balcony, taking a step towards the open window, watching as Sara moved to sit on her bed. Her eyes were glistening with tears she tried to fight back as her fingers fumbled with a locket that was clutched fiercely in her hand. He longed to reach out and help her – longed to take her away from that nasty women and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Without a second thought, without even considering the fact he might scare her, Peter drifted towards the window, moving through the tattered curtains and landing inside as silently as possible. Sara didn't even notice as she stared at the jewellery in her hand. He could hear Tinkerbell cursing him outside, demanding that he come back, but he ignored her as he examined the room more closely now that he was inside. His nose wrinkled up in distaste. "Ugh; what _is _that smell?" He asked out loud.

Sara jumped so much that she actually dropped her locket to the floor and she was on her feet in an instance with a loud gasp. Her eyes were wide in terror as she caught sight of Peter and she stumbled backwards until her back was pressed against the wall and she could stumble no more. Part of her wanted to scream out for Becky, but she didn't want to call her friend in. What if this man was dangerous? However, as her shock passed, she soon realised that this was no man. It was a mere boy – a mere boy that apparently didn't know how to dress. Her heart pounded against her chest as fear consumed her body, but guilty curiosity caused her eyebrows to crease down into a frown as she observed him more. He looked to be a similar age to her, though his skin was somewhat tan, implying he didn't exactly live in London because they _never _got sun hot enough to colour the skin. The smile on his face was far from threatening, but instead, coy and inviting, almost innocent, but with a sense of mischief. His eyes glistened with the light that hers had lacked since her father's death and quite honestly, he seemed harmless. But if he was harmless, why was he in her room? Better yet, how an earth had he got up here?! "Who – who are you?" She managed to stutter out, remaining where she was, firmly against the wall.

Peter didn't seem to pick up on her fear, but instead was blind to it as he grinned at her, puffing his chest out while his hands came up to rest on his hips. He titled his head high in a proud manner and took a step towards her. "Peter Pan!" He announced loudly, expecting her to just know who he was by his name, expecting her to know the stories and to know where he came from, just like Wendy had. Unfortunately, Sara had grown up in India – fairy tales were different there, characters were different and as he spoke his name, all she could do was blink in confusion, unsure of why he seemed to know her when she had no idea who he was.

"Peter...Peter Pan?" She repeated slowly, lifting her eyebrows high up to her forehead, hoping that if she spoke it out loud, it might ring some bells, but it rung nothing. She licked her lower lip nervously, watching as he nodded eagerly, waiting for the realisation to settle in. Swallowing hard, she shrugged her shoulders meekly. "I'm...sorry, I don't know who you are." She finally answered, actually still being polite, even at a time like this.

This made Peter's facial expression drop noticeably. His eyebrows buried down into a deep frown and his lips parted in shock. His hands fell away from his hips and he just stared at her as if she had said the biggest insult she could possibly think of. What did she mean she didn't know who he was? "Everybody knows who I am." He spoke matter of fact. Sara just offered him an apologetic smile and shook her head. "Huh." Peter breathed out. He was actually speechless for a little while as one hand came up to scratch the top of his head. "I thought everyone knew me." He muttered, sounding grumpy about this little fact as he lifted his legs and crossed them, except rather than perching down on the floor, he merely sat there in mid air, floating, still trying to figure out why Sara didn't know who he was, apparently paying no mind to the fact that he was hovering there like it was a normal thing for everyone to do.

Round orbs went even wider as Sara stared in complete shock at the fact that he was just floating there like that and her mouth dropped open. She no longer felt concerned over the fact that she didn't know him and she even forgot her fear that there was a strange boy in her room, focusing on just one thing; the fact he was...well, flying or at least hovering. Slowly, she stepped away from the floor and walked a little closer, each step hesitant. Her head tilted to one side and she observed the distance between his backside and the floor in complete awe. "You're..." She tried to get the words out had no idea how to describe it. Peter just looked at her oddly, apparently not realising the big deal and assuming she was just a little weird. "You're floating!" Sara finally breathed out in amazement, looking up at him with a smile of shock. She had no idea who this person was and deep down, that should have scared her, but what he was doing right now was so magical that imagination controlled her, pushing rationality to the side. "How are you doing that?"

"It's easy!" Peter brushed off with a shrug of his shoulders, uncrossing his legs but not letting his feet touch the ground, instead floating that little bit higher so he was just hanging there casually in the air. "I've been doing it for ages." He added, hoping to impress her with this and he got what he wanted, he could tell by the way she smiled. "Years, even." He added, hoping to push it a little bit further. He watched as Sara circled him, examining every angle of him, as if she was searching for the strings that were holding him up, but there was nothing. After a while, she took a step back and just stared up at his face.

"Who _are _you?" She asked, a tone of excitement now there. Part of her actually began to wonder if he was an angel – maybe she had died in her sleep without realising it. It was a morbid thought, but she found herself wondering it every time she woke up lately. She was always so hungry, so poorly looked after...it was only a matter of time before she got ill or wasted away from lack of food, especially now that she was being starved for a whole day. Or maybe, rather than being dead, she was still asleep and just dreaming. She didn't remember going to sleep though – in fact, she didn't even remember closing her eyes. Maybe she was awake and he was an angel, coming to take her away from this evil place; from that evil woman. "Are you...an angel?" She asked uncertainly, tilting her eyebrows up. For some reason, her fear was gone and it wasn't coming back. She wasn't afraid of him. How could she be? He was so young, so full of life and he seemed so innocent. There didn't seem to be anything to be scared of.

Peter made a face and shook his head. "Nah." He told her with a wave of his hand, floating back down so his bare feet touched the wooden floorboards. "I'm just a boy." He finished with a shrug of his shoulders, beginning to walk around the room as if it were his own home, no shyness or shame in his actions as he began to look around the place with a look of disapproval. "I'm amazing at it though." He added casually.

"You're amazing at being a boy?" Sara asked in confusion, not quite understanding.

"Yeah." Peter responded, apparently not picking up on her confusion or just plain ignoring it as he took hold of the cushion Becky had made for her, examining it, twirling it around in his dirty hands as he turned to face her once more. He didn't say anything else, just allowed his fingers to trail over the blue thread that was meant to be a river in India, apparently quite amused by how smooth the material felt.

Sara watched him in silence for a while, her mind doing cartwheels and somersaults as she tried to make sense of everything. He was just a boy? But he was so much more than that; boy's didn't just happen to float and fly, nor did they randomly appear in your bedroom at night and claim they were famous. Licking her lower lip thoughtfully, she tried to think of some sort of responsible explanation but realise there wasn't one. This was past rationality; this was about imagination. This was make believe – the fantasies that Miss Minchin always told her to give up on. It had to be; what other explanation was there for it? "If you're not an angel...why are you here?" She asked after a few moments.

Peter seemed excited to be asked this and threw the pillow over his shoulder, no longer interested in it as he walked forward rather fast. Sara stumbled backwards slightly, suddenly concerned that he was moving so close but he soon caught up with her. His arm stretched out and his fingers curled around her hand, taking a light hold of her as he stared at her with pure mischief and adventure gleaming in his eyes. "I'm here to rescue you!" He informed her. "Like in the stories!" He added with over-exaggerated nods. "You can be my damsel in distaste."

Sara frowned before just laughing softly, "Don't you mean damsel in distress?" She corrected, making no attempt to pull her hand away from his. It wasn't as if he was hurting her or anything. In fact, his touch was strangely comforting; it was warm and it was friendly. She knew she should be scared. She knew she shouldn't converse with strangers but honestly; it wasn't as if she had anything to lose.

"Pfft; whatever." Peter brushed her off, not appreciating the fact that she had corrected him. He released her hand and practically ran towards the window, jumping onto the side it then turning back around to face her. "I'm here to take you away; to a better place, away from the evil woman who doesn't believe." He told her. He had no idea that he was making no sense – of course he didn't. Peter didn't exactly know how to word things; he just said them how they were. With Wendy, it hadn't been a problem. She had known straight away what he was on about and where he wanted to take her, whereas Sara had no idea.

"Take me away?" Sara repeated, suddenly sounding hesitant. What did he mean take her away? How was he going to do that without getting caught? There was no escaping this place, she already knew that. This was hell and she was stuck there, not even a flying boy could change that. Could he? "I don't understand." She muttered quietly, shaking her head and sounding somewhat nervous.

Peter sighed and rolled his eyes, looking rather impatient and bored of this conversation. He wanted to go; he wanted an adventure. Now that he had decided Sara was to come with him, he wanted to leave straight away, take her back to the Lost Boys, introduce her, get her to finish that story and then show her the wonders of his world. He didn't want to wait around and answer stupid questions. "To Never Land; a magical place where you never have to worry about anything ever again. You can be free and wild, forever." He gushed his words out in such an amazing voice that Sara got lost in his words for a while, just dreaming of such a place, picturing a setting similar to India, but more magical, more...amazing, if it was even possible. Peter could see that he was drawing her in with her words and like a predator with its prey, he jumped down from the window and stalked towards her, taking her hand for a second time, leading her slowly towards the exit. Of course, he would need to get Tinkerbell to spray her with some dust, but that would only take seconds. "It's easy. You just have to leave everything behind and come with me." He told her. It was almost wrong, how he was so keen to tempt her away from her home, but what sort of home was it anyway? She was dressed in rags, leaving in a cold and dismal attic, being denied food from a person that was supposed to take care of her...this wasn't a home, it was a prison and he was offering her an escape.

Oh and she wanted to take it; she wanted to take it so badly. It didn't matter that she barely knew him. It didn't matter that he was a stranger who could fly. It didn't matter that she had never heard of Never Land and that this would technically be seen as kidnapping even if he was just a kid himself. None of it mattered. So many nights, she had dreamt of running away from this place; of being free and while she had no idea where she would be running to, only one thing was certain; anywhere was better than here, even this strange magical place that she had never heard of. She smiled as he pulled her towards the window and she was so ready to go. She was so ready for the adventures that his eyes promised her. But then, she heard it; a knock at the wall coming from Becky's room and she froze. She stopped walking and Peter frowned, unsure of why she had suddenly frozen. Sara stood there and listened closely; in the distance she could hear Miss Minchin's wicked voice, screaming at the other girls, the ones that had been caught in her room and that was when she realised something.

"I can't go." She whispered, slowly pulling her hand away from his and taking a step back. She meant it as well. She really couldn't go. She wanted to, but she couldn't.

Peter looked astonished and he shook his head in disbelief. "Of course you can. You just think happy thoughts and they'll lift you into the air." He told her, thinking the reason she wasn't coming was because she thought she couldn't fly. He took a step towards her. "It's easy; I'll teach you. I'll teach you everything when we're there. I'll introduce you to mermaids and...and fairies and you can tell your stories to the boys, they love stories – " He was trying to bribe her now and it tore at her heartstrings to know what she was missing out on. She believed it; every word he was saying. She believed he could introduce her to all this and more, but she just couldn't accept.

"My friends need me here." She informed him with a sad smile. "If I go now, who will protect them from the evil Miss Minchin?"

It was Peter's turn to freeze and tilted his head to one side, staring at her in wonder. She was willing to sacrifice her freedom for people that didn't stand up for her? Yes; she was, just like he would be willing to sacrifice his freedom for the boys. "They can come." He commented after a few moments, sounding almost pleading, desperately wanting her to come with him.

"They can't." Sara shook her head. "What would their parents say? They still have their mothers and fathers, unlike me." She sounded sad again and once more, he felt pity for her, felt the urge to save her.

"Pah; they won't need parents once they're in Never Land!" Peter told her.

Sara frowned at this, his words upsetting her, hitting a soft spot. Very carefully, she took another step back and on the way, she bent down, picking up the locket she had dropped earlier. Her eyes examine the photos that were inside, the smiling faces of her mother and father. "Everybody needs parents, Peter." She whispered quietly, slowly looking back up at him. "Don't you need parents?" She asked. It was a rather random question, but she found his attitude...well, confusing. What sort of child this age didn't want parents? She would long to have her mother and father back, to hold her hand and sing her a lullaby to sleep. She would love to be in their safe arms once more. She would give anything for it. Where were his parents? Had they died and gone to heaven too, like hers?

Peter's jaw flexed, her question irritating him. "Never." He growled out and she looked somewhat amazed by the fierce tone that he used to say this.

They were silent for a while, merely standing there and it was then did Peter realise that while she was very similar to him, she was also very different. Perhaps it was best she didn't come after all. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to believe those words. Inside, it saddened him that she wasn't coming; upset him and made him feel...empty all over again. Swallowing hard, he tried not to let any of this show; tried to be the strong person he was always keen to be. Finally, Sara spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm needed here. The girls look to me to guide them; to help them. I can't leave them now. They'll lose hope." She explained in a gentle voice and Peter wanted to be angry at her, but instead, he was proud of her once more. She was loyal to the very end; she was...kind.

And yet, he was jealous; jealous that she would rather be with girls that didn't defend her then with him, who would protect her till the end because Peter protected everybody. Nodding once, he didn't say anything else and turned to leave, beginning to glide towards the window.

"Peter – wait!" Sara called for him, running after him. He turned around, now standing on the window sill, looking eager, hoping she'd changed her mind. Instead, she just smiled lightly at him. "Will you come back? Will you visit me again?" She asked, sounding hopeful. She found that his visit had been strangely comforting. It was nice to know she wasn't so alone. How odd; that a stranger gave her hope when really, it should have scared her. Magic worked in...well, magical ways, didn't it?

Peter considered this before just smiling. "I'll be around." He informed her. "I have to tell the Lost Boys the end of the story after all!"

"You listen to my stories?" Sara asked, blushing slightly, though she wasn't sure why this made her feel shy.

"Of course! They're not as good as the stories about me, but...they're good enough for now." He told her with a nod, slowly drifting out of the window. "Well...goodbye." He lifted his hand in a weak wave and couldn't help but feel like he was repeating the past. Wasn't this similar to the way he had said goodbye to Wendy all those years ago?

"Goodnight." Sara responded, refusing to actually say the term 'bye'. She wasn't going to say something permanent; he had said he was coming back after all, so therefore this was not goodbye, it was merely...a see you later. There was another knock at the wall and she glanced over her shoulder to look at it. What was she going to tell Becky when she eventually let her in? She would think of something or perhaps...she would just keep it to herself for now. She didn't like secrets, but she didn't want to scare Becky. "Are you going to be – "She began to talk to Peter once more, but as she turned back around to face him, she found that he was gone. "Alright?" She finished in a quiet whisper, staring out at the empty nights sky. She sighed heavily, looking almost sad before just slumping her shoulders downwards and turning around, skipping over to the wall, knocking enough times to let Becky know it was okay to come in. They had lots to talk about, after all.

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**COMING UP NEXT; **Recovering from her rejection, Peter eventually returns to ask about the rest of the story, but when he gets there, he finds that the police have been called and Sara is desperately trying to escape. Will she change her mind about going to Never Land now that she's in as much trouble as she is?


	3. The Rama To Her Sita

**DISCLAIMER;**I do not own anything and I never will. The only thing I own is my imagination and that is all. Everything else belongs to its rightful owners. I am not getting any credit out of other people's creations.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE; **I just want to thank Nik-Nokkers Anonymous & serianna14 for their lovely reviews! Honestly, you're both far too kind and it's because of these amazing reviews that I'm going to continue writing this story! I'm so glad you guys enjoy it as much as you do! So here we go, chapter three!

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**PAN'S LITTLE PRINCESS;  
**_Peter Pan/Sara Crewe & a bit of Becky/Nibs  
_**Sara Crewe had thought no hope would come, but then he did. He heard her stories, he heard her pain and most of all, he heard how much she reminded him of Wendy and he couldn't help himself. Pan was always a selfish boy after all; if he wanted something, he assumed he deserved it.**

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**CHAPTER THREE; **THE RAMA TO HER SITA

Peter honestly wasn't sure if he wanted to ever return back to that Boarding School, despite telling her that he would do to hear the rest of the stories. He supposed it bruised his ego more than he would have liked when Sara had rejected his offer to come to Never Land. He thought all young people would jump at such a fantastic opportunity and plus, he was amazing so why would anyone not want to run away with him? It was hard for him to understand her reasons. He understood loyalty and bravery, but why be loyal to people who ran at the first sign of trouble and let you take the fall? He didn't understand why _they _were better than him. After all, _he'd _stand up for her. _He _wouldn't run away. Bah – girls would never make sense to him. It was fair to say he spent the rest of that night sulking. He did a great deal of it as well – the lost boys had left him to it after a while, realising that he wasn't going to talk to them, no matter how hard they tried to cheer him up and even Tinkerbell didn't jingle insults in his direction, but just sat cross-legged on his shoulder for the majority of the night. Despite all of this though, despite the bad mood that it put him in, he couldn't resist the urge to go back for three reasons. The first reason was because he truly did want to hear the rest of her stories and so did the Lost Boys. The second reason was because before he left last night, he'd waited for the girls to fall asleep and set up a nice little surprise for them so that they weren't hungry during their day of starvation – what was a little stealing to Peter after all? He did it all the time in Never Land – well, he used to when the pirates were still around. He didn't seem to realise stealing for families and stealing from pirates were actually two different things. Last but not least, the third reason? Truthfully...he just wanted to see her again. He had grown accustomed to visiting her and after indulging in a conversation with her last night, he had grown even more attached. He couldn't just stay away; he had to make sure she wasn't being thrown out onto the streets.

So here he was again, flying through the bitter air of London, surrounding by the darkness of the night's sky as he zoomed his way towards the tall building which looked so inviting, but was apparently worse than hell if you were to actually live there. Rain was pelting down hard against his skin, but he barely felt the coldness. He was so warm blooded and so used to living in Never Land, a place of magic, that things like this rarely bothered him. He was an outdoors baby – nature was his friend. Rain was probably the closest thing he ever came to a bath, unless you counted the constant swims he took in lake with the mermaids. Diving downwards, he couldn't resist snatching up a top hat from a wealthy man walking down the street, placing it on top of his head as he flew back upwards and out of sight before the man could even react to being attacked by a 'thief'. Unsurprisingly, the hat came off five seconds later due to the wind. He didn't seem to care though and it wasn't long before he was approaching the open window of the attic.

She was there, perched on the edge of the window sill, leaning out and smiling to herself, wrapped in the coat that he had put there for her, as she watched a carriage pull away. Had she been waiting for him? The thought it made him smile and while she was distracted, he moved down until he was rather suddenly floating right in front of her face. "Hi there!" He announced in a loud, bubby voice, grinning boyishly at her.

Taken by complete surprise, Sara jumped, her bum actually leaving the window sill as she let out a surprised gasp. Losing her balance, she fell backwards, landing with a small 'oomph' on the wooden floorboards inside her room, just beneath the window. Her eyes closed in a short wince and she remained there for just a couple of seconds, before leaping back to her feet in an instance. Her eyes were wide as she stared out at the window, catching sight of Peter still floating there, looking at her with that same grin, making no attempt to see if she was alright, but instead look rather proud of himself for making her jump like that. Typical boy. Her lips curved up into a smile as she moved forward, perching herself on the edge once more and letting her hands fall into her lap. "You came back!" She gushed out, sounding surprised by this.

"Well o' course; I told you I wanted to hear more stories!" Peter commented with a casual shrug, doing a little swirl in the air as if it was a normal thing for him to do when really he was just trying to impress her – the little giggle that left her mouth afterwards let him know that he had succeeded. "Besides; I had to see if you liked your present." He added, nodding into the room.

Sara frowned, looking confused as she glanced over her shoulder. Her room was a lot different since the last time he had been there – there were elegant sheets that reminded her of India, a brilliant golden yellow coloured, hooked up in different parts of the room. A long table was full with empty plates that had once had the most delicious tasting food on it and strange decorations that didn't quite belong, but looked lovely anyway brightened up the cold attic. Honestly, Sara and Becky had no idea where they had come from – they had just woken up this morning and it had all been there. It had been a little scary, but for some reason, Sara had felt safe – safe enough to eat all the food anyway. She observed it all one last time as realisation sunk in. With another gasp, her head snapped to look back at Peter. "Did _you _do this?" She asked in a whispered, sounding amazed.

Peter just grinned and puffed his chest out. "I had to make sure you weren't too hungry to finish your story. That old witch was threatening to starve you!" He commented, clearly expecting some sort of reward.

He got one as well. Without warning, Sara reached out – though made sure she didn't fall off the perch – and enveloped her arms around his shoulder, yanking him towards her. His eyes went wide as their chests thudded together in what was quite possibly the tightest hug he'd ever had. His hands came up and just hovered by his shoulders, making no effort to hug her back, but instead looking terrified about the fact another person – especially a girl – was touching him. Her chin rest on his shoulder and she seemed to ignore the fact that he was soaking wet from the rain, making her rags slightly damp. Screwing his face up, Peter still looked unsure of what to do and when she didn't let go, he brought one of his hands down to just pat her sympathetically on the shoulder.

Tink's yellow glow turned red in anger as she watched from outside and without warning, she shot forward beginning to buzz around Sara's head, squeaking at her and occasionally pulling at a strand of hair.

Jerking back from the hug, Sara's wide eyes turned to her left to catch sight of the bright orb that was attacking her and rather than looking scared or trying to hit the thing around, her lips curved up into the widest grin. "What is _that_?" She asked Peter excitedly, turning to look back at him.

Rather than standing in the rain, Peter invited himself in, floating down to stand on the carpet and catching Tinkerbell between two hands to stop her from doing anymore damage. "That's Tinkerbell, my fairy." He told Sara matter of fact.

Sara was silent for a while, staring at him, trying to figure out if he was joking or not before just laughing softly. "A fairy? Can I see?!" She quickly jumped up from her position and walked towards him so fast that he actually took two steps back, before coming to a stop.

"Aren't you going to tell me there's no such thing?" Peter questioned, rather surprised by how quickly she believed him. Not even Wendy had believed him.

"But of course there is! There are all sorts of fairies. There's the tooth fairy, there's – "Sara began, but she was quickly silenced by the sound of pounding footsteps heading up a flight of stairs.

"Where is it? _Where is it?!_" A voice could be heard bellowing in the distance.

Sara's eyes widened in horror and she reached forward, snatching at Peter's arm and dragging him to the window. "You have to go!" She hissed through gritted teeth, moving behind him and pushing at his back, pushing him to the window. Peter frowned, turning around to face her and giving her a weird look. He looked ready to protest, especially when he saw the fear that was bright in her eyes, but the footsteps got closer and in the end, he nodded his head and jumped through the window, flying downwards to hide beneath it like he had done last night, still clutching Tinkerbell in his hands so that she didn't go and cause trouble.

"Where's the locket?!" Miss Minchin's shrill voice bellowed as she stormed into the room and Peter jumped slightly at how loud her voice. He could Sara gasp, heard her take a few steps backwards – she really was terrified of this woman, even if she did stand up to her on many occasions.

"Give it to me. GIVE IT TO ME!" Miss Minchin yelled and he heard her stalking forward. Being very careful, he let go of Tink and shushed her before she could anything. After that, he gently lifted himself upwards and perched over the edge, watching the scene play out, watching as the cruel teacher stormed towards Sara with her hand outstretched, while Sara clutched at something that was around her neck. He remembered the locket – the one that had her parents in. He'd seen it last night. Why on earth did Miss Minchin want that? It wasn't hers! And yet despite this, he watched with a faint heart as Sara unclasped it from around her neck. She didn't have a chance to give it to Miss Minchin though – the old bag lady had become far too interested in the sudden change of appearance the room had gone through.

"What is all this?" She whispered, sounding outraged her eyes wide as she continued to stare around at the sheets that had been set around the room. "Where'd it come from?"

"I don't know." Sara stated, half lying considering she knew it was Peter who had done it. She walked forward, preparing to give the locket that meant so much to her away. "I just woke up and it was here."

"You stole all of it, didn't you?" Miss Minchin suddenly accused and Peter's eyes widened as Sara shook her head repeatedly. "Just like you stole this locket!" The headmistress yelled, snatching the piece of jewellery from Sara's hairs.

"No!" Sara yelled, trying to make Miss Minchin see sense. Peter had half a mind to storm in there and tell the woman it was him that done it – after all, she couldn't throw _him _out on the streets could she? However, Sara had seemed so desperate for him to leave, she seemed so scared of this woman and Peter knew that it would be safer to just keep his distance. Besides, adults weren't supposed to know he existed; adults didn't believe after all. However, that didn't stop his blood from boiling up. How could she even accuse Sara of stealing all this? How did she expect Sara to be capable of it? Peter only managed it because he could fly and he also had the help from a fairy!

"You're nothing but a dirty little thief. It's my responsibility to protect the children of this school from _animals _like you!" Miss Minchin continued, not even listening to Sara's protests. "Pack your things! You'll be leaving with the police _very shortly!_" Miss Minchin finished and on that note, she rushed from the room. Sara desperately tried to catch up with her, but it was too late. The door slammed shut and the lock clicked over the door. Sara's tiny little fists slammed into the wood as she banged on it repeatedly, screaming for Miss Minchin to listen to her, desperately trying to make her teacher realise that it wasn't her who had stolen all of this beautiful stuff. Peter watched with a guilty conscience – _he _was the one who had brought all this stuff here. He had never thought in a million years that Miss Minchin would react like that. He wasn't exactly famous for being a boy who thought about consequences. He had just been trying to do a nice gesture; he had just been trying to show off. He hadn't meant for it to go like this; he hadn't meant to get Sara thrown into the streets or carted off with the police! He didn't really know much about the police, but he imagined there were about as nice as pirates with a name so similar. Swallowing hard, he glanced at Tink, expecting some sort of advice, but if anything, she just looked innocently pleased. Evil fairy – he rolled his eyes at her and flicked her away with his thumb and finger, watching her soar through the air in a glitter trail. She'd be back in a couple of minutes anyway. Right now, he had to help Sara.

And he could – all she needed to do was agree to come with him; agree to come to Never Land. They didn't have police there nor did they have anyone like Miss Minchin, not since Hook was defeated. She'd be safe there, completely safe; she'd be with him after all.

"Sara; what are you going do?" Another voice filled the room and he watched as Sara's friend tip toed her way through what appeared to be a doorway in the wall. He liked Becky; he didn't really know much of her nor did he care much for her, but since he had begun visiting Sara, he'd found that the dark-coloured girl was a lot nicer than all the others. She seemed to keep Sara going; she helped her. He liked that.

"I have to leave, Becky." Sara whispered in a voice that sounded scared and possibly even alone. He watched as she stopped thumping at the door, turning around to face her friend and his smile faded. Her cheeks were wet, as if she had been out in this rain and he realised that she was doing something most girls did; crying. He didn't like it. He didn't want her to cry – it was awkward when girls cried. He never knew what to do when they did.

"Leave? But where will you go?" Becky asked in a sad and worried voice as she rushed to her friend's side, her hand stretching out and resting on Sara's shoulder in a comforting way. "Surely the police will believe you?"

"No they won't, Becky. I _have _to go." Sara urged, her voice shaking slightly.

"Go where?" Becky continued to ask, not wanting her friend to just be roaming the streets. This was of course Peter's cue to enter the scene rather than linger outside in the dark.

"With me, of course!" He announced loudly, moving his way into the room, standing inside just by the window. His hands were on his hips and his chest was once again puffed out proudly. His head was tilted up high and his shoulders pinned back while a playful smile was dancing around on his lips, his eyes glimmering with mischief and excitement. "To Never Land!"

In a matter of seconds, Becky was standing behind Sara, gripping at her friend's arms while peering over the left shoulder with wide eyes. "Sara!" She gasped, sounding scared and worried. "Why is there a strange boy in your room?" She whispered, but Sara didn't seem to hear her friend. Her eyes were wide and her lips were slowly beginning to curve up into a smile, as if she was having some sort of realization, as if she was conducting a plan within her imaginative head. Peter was right; they _could _go with him. Before when he had asked, she had been unable to leave but now she didn't have much of a choice. Turning around, she stared at Becky, fear suddenly gone and replaced with excitement. Maybe everything would be okay; maybe he really could be her hero; the Rama to her Sita but without the undying love and budding romance. Biting down on her lower lip, she considered this for a few more moments, her eyes locking with his. As if he could read her mind, he nodded once, almost as if to encourage her and with a small giggle, Sara turned around, all signs of tears fading away as she faced her friend.

"It's okay, Becky. His names Peter. He can help us." Sara reassured quietly, though Becky didn't look too convinced. She was a dreamer, but she wasn't as easily swayed by the thought of magic and pixie dust like Sara. Becky had lived in a harsh world for a long time; she had never even heard of happy endings until she started listening to Sara's stories. She had been trapped here as a servant girl for a long time and before then, she'd been caught up in orphanages that didn't think much of her race. Her mother's face was long forgotten and her father's never seen. Her childhood hadn't been as wonderful as Sara's and therefore, she wasn't as easily caught up in the idea of fairytales coming true. She needed a lot more convincing that just a cheeky smile and the mention of mermaids.

"Help us how? How did he get in here?" Becky was still whispering, almost as if she didn't want Peter to hear. Her eyes continued to dart over Sara's shoulders, eyeing the boy in leaves suspiciously, ignoring the way he was frowning at her, clearly unhappy that she was holding everything up. He didn't mind if Sara brought her friend – the boys would love two mothers and hey, we all know how much Peter loves female attention – but if she was going to come, she had to come quickly, not wait around and ask silly questions.

"He _flew_! Just like magic – he can take us away from here, to a land where there are fairies and mermaids and we'd never have to worry about serving breakfast ever again!" Sara gushed out in an excited tone.

"But...I thought that stuff only existed in stories. It's all make believe." Becky commented in a sceptical tone. "Right?"

"Wrong." Peter commented. Both girls turned to look at him and Becky's eyes widened at the fact he was now hovering in mid-air, offering her a 'told you so' look of smugness. He lifted his eyebrows up and down one time, before casually gliding towards them, landing at Sara's side. "Honestly; have _neither _of you heard of me?" He asked in a drawl that sounded bored.

Becky swallowed hard, still trying to come to terms with the fact a mere boy had just flown. She couldn't quite believe Sara was suggesting they run away with him – run away to a place that sounded like something from a fantasy book. She also couldn't believe that she was actually considering it – only slightly though. "How do we know we'll be safe?" She asked, speaking to Sara, not Peter.

Sara glanced at Peter. This was a good point; how _did _they know they would be safe? She couldn't be certain they would. However, she could be certain of one thing. "Anywhere's better than here...isn't it?" She voiced out loud, looking back at Becky who remained silent, having no argument against this comment. The black girl shuffled awkwardly on her feet, looking down at the floor as she wrapped her rag of a shawl tighter around her shoulders. "I'm a little scared about all of this, Sara." She admitted in a mumble that was barely audible.

"I know, Becky, I am too, but it's okay...we have each other. I'll protect you. You can trust me." Sara stated – and she meant it.

"I know I can. It's not you I'm worried about, Sara." Becky commented, suspicious eyes falling on Peter once ore.

Sara fell silent and her eyebrows drew down into a faint frown. Becky voiced a good point – could they really trust Peter? Sara didn't even know him. She had only met him yesterday and he'd basically admitted to stalking her just to listen to her stories. And yet...despite this, she felt...safe going with him. She might not know Peter, but he was just a boy and he gave off this feeling of security almost the second you met him. Surely he couldn't put them in any serious danger? Nothing they couldn't handle together anyway. "We'll be okay. We'll be together." She told her friend lightly. "Think about; our very own adventure. People will be telling our story to others in years to come! About the two brave girls who escape the _evil _hands of the Ramayana! We'll learn how to fly and discover all these new things. It'll be like one of the stories I tell you but...we'll be living it instead of dreaming of it." She continued to encourage her friend, taking a step forward. "Come on, Becky; weren't you the one that told me you thought there'd be dies you would die until you learnt about the magic? And when I didn't believe in it, it was _you _who restored my faith; you taught me to believe again, Becky and look; the magic is right in front of us, just like we always dreamed. Don't you believe in it any more? Don't you believe that the magic has come to save us, just like it saved Rama and Sita?" She sounded almost desperate now. She knew they didn't have much time left, but she refused to leave without Becky. Becky was the only thing she had left that was important to her.

Becky slowly looked up and met the gaze of her best friend; a girl who had grown to become a sister figure to her. For a while, they just stared at one another, almost as if they were silently communicating and then thunder struck in the air, voices drifted up from outside – the police were here. Sara's eyes widened and so did Becky's. Becky was scared, that much was true, but she was not about to let her sister be carted off in a wagon to some cell – not in this lifetime. There wasn't exactly any other way to escape but with this strange boy in leaves who could amazingly fly without strings to hold him up. It didn't feel right, but...it was the only way. Sara had restored her faith and now, it was time to help restore Sara's and if that faith was in the form of this Peter person then who was Becky to argue with that? Without further ado, the young girl looked at Peter and nodded, a defeated look upon her features. Sara laughed in relief and reached out, snatching her friend's hand in hers, linking their fingers as she turned to face Peter.

"So; how do we get there?" She asked, bouncing up and down ever so slightly.

Peter just grinned at them; a grin that was so full of mischief, so full of adventure. "You fly, of course."

* * *

**COMING UP NEXT; **The girls arrive at Never Land. Becky meets Nibs for the first time.


End file.
